This Day In History Aug. 2 1876 Some lessons are timeless.

This is a discussion on This Day In History Aug. 2 1876 Some lessons are timeless. within the Off Topic & Humor Discussion forums, part of the The Back Porch category; Wild Bill" Hickok, one of the greatest gunfighters of the American West, is murdered in Deadwood, South Dakota.
Born in Illinois in 1837, James Butler ...

This Day In History Aug. 2 1876 Some lessons are timeless.

Wild Bill" Hickok, one of the greatest gunfighters of the American West, is murdered in Deadwood, South Dakota.

Born in Illinois in 1837, James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok first gained notoriety as a gunfighter in 1861 when he coolly shot three men who were trying to kill him. A highly sensationalized account of the gunfight appeared six years later in the popular periodical Harper's New Monthly Magazine, sparking Hickok's rise to national fame. Other articles and books followed, and though his prowess was often exaggerated, Hickok did earn his reputation with a string of impressive gunfights.

After accidentally killing his deputy during an 1871 shootout in Abilene, Texas, Hickok never fought another gun battle. For the next several years he lived off his famous reputation, appearing as himself in Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West show. Occasionally, he worked as guide for wealthy hunters. His renowned eyesight began to fail, and for a time he was reduced to wandering the West trying to make a living as a gambler. Several times he was arrested for vagrancy.

In the spring of 1876, Hickok arrived in the Black Hills mining town of Deadwood, South Dakota. There he became a regular at the poker tables of the No. 10 Saloon, eking out a meager existence as a card player. On this day in 1876, Hickok was playing cards with his back to the saloon door. At 4:15 in the afternoon, a young gunslinger named Jack McCall walked into the saloon, approached Hickok from behind, and shot him in the back of the head. Hickok died immediately. McCall tried to shoot others in the crowd, but amazingly, all of the remaining cartridges in his pistol were duds. McCall was later tried, convicted, and hanged.

Hickok was only 39 years old when he died. The most famous gunfighter in the history of the West died with his Smith & Wesson revolver in his holster, never having seen his murderer. According to legend, Hickok held a pair of black aces and black eights when he died, a combination that has since been known as the Dead Man's Hand.

Folks it was largely a lack of situational awareness then, and it still is today when bad things happen . No matter how good you are with a pistol , its all for naught if you do not maintain a mindset .

Make sure you get full value out of today , Do something worthwhile, because what you do today will cost you one day off the rest of your life .
We only begin to understand folks after we stop and think .

I just read about this the other day...odd for an "accomplished gunfighter" and peace officer not to follow his own rules. It was stated in the article I read that he never sat down in a room unless he could see any possible advesaries. In other words, basically he sat with his back to the wall...mindset, mindset, and more mindset. Not to dispute you, and possibly the article I read was in error, but I read that he carried a pair of Navy .36 Colts, butts forward and supposedly he shot them everyday in order to have fresh powder in them. Now I'm curious...nonetheless, situational awareness is our best defense.